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Gymnasium

On November 1, 1955, groundbreaking ceremonies marked the beginning of construction of the Armory Gymnasium. Oswald Berg of Bozeman was employed as the architect. The building was to be jointly financed and used by the college and the National Guard. Students had voted a $6.00 fee toward construction of a gymnasium when that space was eliminated due to cutbacks in the Cowan Hall construction. The plan included housing for National Guard offices along with a large gym and a smaller gym, a pool, and classroom space.

Architect Berg's design for the building involved use of huge laminated arches over the gym space. In the construction process, wind caught one of the newly installed arches tilting it into two others and toppling the entire structural skeleton. Six years after completion of the building, another windstorm ripped the roof off the connecting wing between the pool and gym completely flattening one floor of that structure. Repairs were undertaken immediately.

An entry hall and lobby were added to the newly constructed building shortly after its completion in 1956. In 1958 two more arches were added on to the north side of the gym making an additional 40 feet of space. Seating capacity was raised to about 2,500 and a wrestling room and offices were gained. The student body donated the sound system in 1957. A 1961 estimate listed the cost of the building including entryway, expansion, and wind damage repairs at $812,774.92.

In the late 1980s the National Guard was moved across town and the vacated space was put to use by the athletic department. Both the building and the pool required significant repairs 30 years after their construction. Because of the shortage of funds, these repairs were delayed for over five years, but eventually the roof over the main gymnasium was repaired, structural problems in the small gym and swimming pool were corrected, and a new pitched roof was added to the entire east wing of the facility to ensure the longevity of much needed classroom and office space.

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